International Conference: "Transport, Climate Change, and Clean Air" (21. and 22. June 2018, CentraleSupelec, Paris)

The fifth report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that the increase in global average surface temperature is due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The report also reveals that keeping the average global temperature below a 2° increase will become more challenging over time. Despite the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015 and the submission of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by 164 Parties, most countries still need to urgently transform their NDCs to specific measures and actions. At the same time, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are also part of a new Agenda that will shift the world onto a more sustainable and resilient path. These initiatives have created an opportunity for the design and implementation of policies that will address sustainable development and climate change simultaneously.

Transport is responsible for about 25% of global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, a dominating greenhouse gas (GHG), with an increasing share in most countries, especially in Asia and Latin America. According to the International Transport Forum (ITF), the transport sector remains the sector with the fastest growing CO₂ emissions compared to the industry and energy sectors in the OECD countries. Although transport CO₂ emission levels in non-OECD countries are still relatively low, they will soon catch up with OECD countries. In addition, developing countries also have high levels of local air pollution, particularly sulfur oxides (SO_X), nitrogen oxides (NO_X), and particulate matter (PM), which is a pressing priority for most cities.

Global transport volumes have been projected to continue to increase. Passenger transport will more than double by 2050, the global vehicle stock will increase from 1 billion in 2015 to 2.4 billion in 2050, while freight transport is projected to triple. Global transport CO₂emission could increase by 60% from 2015 level in 2050 under the business as usual scenario. However, having the appropriate mix of policies can significantly reduce carbon emissions, create transport co-benefits that will also decrease local air pollution and provide options for low carbon transport development. This conference seeks to identify priority areas that will have the greatest potential to reduce transport emissions in both passenger and freight transport and to share knowledge on best practice and latest research findings on emerging trends.

Conference Overview

This conference is organized by the World Conference on Transport Research Society (WCTRS) Special Interest Group (SIG) f2 on Transport, Climate Change and Clean Air. The focus of the conference is on current transport, climate change and local air pollution research, including the application of scientific methods on impact assessment or evaluation that will provide policy insights on efficient mitigation and adaptation measures for the transport sector. Such measures will include changes in various types of policies and mobility patterns, as well as technological innovations and disruptions. References to ongoing political discussions on all modes are highly welcomed.

Key outcomes from the discussions were drafted as inputs to the 2018 Talanoa Dialogue, which is a facilitative dialogue whose inputs will be synthesized and presented at COP 24. Our contributions can be seen here. They have contributed to the UNFCCC process to enhance Parties’ ambition and help Parties with the preparation of their Nationally determined contributions (NDCs).